Obsession
by Nakaru Uzumaki
Summary: Uzumaki Nakaru will have to steel his stomach for this gut-wrenching story. Filled with blood, sweat, tears, and more blood, the jinchuuriki will walk the halls of Heavenly Host Elementary alone, his new objective sending him in harm's way to save the users of the Sachiko Ever After Charm. Only this time, he'll have to survive himself, too.
1. One Take

_**Obsession**_

 _ **A/N: Hello again, my dear readers! This is just but one other story that plagued my mind that I've decided to upload on here. This time, Death's apprentice is thrown into Heavenly Host Elementary to take on another task! To save as many as possible and exit the haunted academy! Only difference is that this time, he'll have a darker path mirroring his own to contend with. Bonds will be made, scarred, and broken, so without further adieu, Obsession!**_

 _ ****_ _One Take_

 _"Will you be my boyfriend?"_

 _Heavenly Host Elementary._

Only one word among many came to mind as the Immortal Shinobi walked through the dirty, rotten halls of the grade school.

 _Weird.  
_  
Contrary to popular belief, in the eyes of the God amongst Men, the multiple building teaching facility was less than frightening. The withered walls of the academy deemed more annoying than terrifying.

 _ **"Uoaaaarrrggghhh!"  
**_  
Except for _that._

Stuffing his muscularly slim form into the nearest rusted locker, he closed it upon fitting inside. Like a raging bull, the lumbering beast of an apparition stomped his way past, taking no heed of the occupied locker as he allowed his hammer to split the floorboards apart as he went. By the time it turned the darkened hallway, Uzumaki Nakaru was already out and about, scouring the various classrooms along the halls.

He just made it past the lavatories when he heard it.

 _"Gaa...guurggu...gaarrr...gaarggll..."_

 _'Maybe I should...  
_  
Then he saw where the sound was coming from.

 _Girls._

...yolo, right?"

Walking in without another thought, he flared his chakra, only succeeding in calling upon his cloak. He walked slowly through the reasonably sized room, allowing the serenely demonic chakra encircling his form to afford him some much desired light. He began to check the stalls one by one.

The first, also the closest to the washroom entrance opened soundly, creaking until it clattered against the side of the stall. A note, attached to the wall behind the yellow water-filled toilet, read:

 _"The smell of pneumonia reeks here."  
_  
Then the stench invaded his nose like a worm would an apple. "Ugh", he gagged involuntarily as he slammed it closed once more, scanning for the source of the sound. Beautiful way of applying knowledgeable horror movie tactics, right?

Then, he opened the next stall, completely unaware that his spiky scarlet mane had already faded to black, inconspicuously.

What he saw next made his shroud melt right off his body.

 _(Girl's Washroom Stall)  
_  
Shinohara Seiko wept. The curly, brown-haired maiden from Kisaragi Academy cried tears of fear and pain as she clawed at the spiny rope tied around her neck, keeping her aloft and off the ground. She could feel her eyes bugging out of her head as she kicked and screamed in vain; hot tears welling up once more as she heard naught but a wet gurgle escape her diaphragm.

Crazy what an argument could do to ya, huh?

Contrary to popular belief, the perverse high school student did not put herself in this predicament, but, instead it was actually her best friend. Nakashima Naomi had hung her here, leaving her to die from asphyxiation.

 _No...  
_  
No. She had to fight. To live. To breath. To survive.

 _'When you lose a loved one...  
_  
She loosely remembered the improvised speech she came up with to cheer up the very person who set her on her deathbed only hours beforehand.

 _...you cherish that person's memory. It's never a burden...  
_  
She clenched her jaw as if she was mechanical and not organic, and despite her below average physique, she grabbed to noose from above her head and pulled, lifting her form up slightly and releasing some of the pressure on her throat.

 _You just... want to do whatever you can.  
_  
Her grip loosened ever so slightly, producing more pressure upon her windpipe until finally her strength gave out and she dropped. More tears came out as she felt her neck almost snap the moment she fell.

 _Whatever you can... to make her proud...  
_  
Another wet gurgle escaped her lips at her failed attempt to scream. Slamming her shoes into the side of the stall in a full split, splintering the wood from the force slightly, she pushed up, ascending once more. Quickly, frantically, she began to undo the knot that kept her from living the rest of her life.

 _...you just want to...  
_  
Like a godly hand sweeping through, an invisible force locked up her fingers as though she had arthritis, and caused her knees to buckle, slamming her down with the force of a freight train, tightening her constrictor forever more and allowing hot tears to flow down her cheeks, burning her eyes all the while. Her diaphragm tightened up, her throat closed in on itself, and her brain became tired from the lack of oxygen.

 _...so you do!  
_  
The dangling high school student briefly saw a flash of light before her life flashed before her eyes in that one unforeseeable moment.

 ** _But you'll never be able to._** _  
_  
And just like that, the fun, loving, and happy spirit of Shinohara Seiko left this world.


	2. Crying Out

_**Obsession**_

 _Crying Out_

 _"Pain, death, despair, misery; they're all under the same category. Negative emotions are what we thrive upon; how I sustain myself... and they will be your downfall!"_

 _~Shinozaki Sachiko._

The teaching assistant of Kisaragi's class 2-9 sighed in exasperation as she wiped her sweaty forehead with the sleeve of her slightly ripped pink jacket. Ghosts! They were real! Who knew! As testament to that, the exhausted teacher assistant could very clearly describe her encounter with the three youthful glowing apparitions only moments before. Finally reaching the staircase, she realized that the young ones had ceased in their pursuit of her, leaving her to her own ministrations. First being separated from her students- _her children!_ -and now this?!

She cupped a hand over her mouth to slow her quickened breathing rate.

 _Slop._

She curled up in a corner, unable to move due to her fatigue as she stared fearfully toward the stairs, watching as a blue light flooded the top of them.

 _SPLAT!_

Standing in stark contrast with the cerulean light, a splatter of deep crimson splattered across the mahogany walls, soaking them in the lifeblood of some innocent creature. Miraculously, the carelessly spattered color across the wall read something. So she read it.

 _9 + 1 = 0_

Tilting her head in curiosity at the miscalculated arithmetic problem, she emptied it from her mind, taking the warning no heed. She placed her hand upon the ground as support so she could stand, but then retracted the limb violently when she felt something prickly slide against her soft and pale fingers. It turned out to be the aged rust slowly encompassing an old iron key. Retrieving it from its spot atop the dirtied floorboards, she stood and kept moving, the voice of Suzumoto Mayu crying out being the only thing on her mind.

 _Oh, how little she knew._

 _(Some Time Later…)_

 _Return home immediately. Those who remain here will go hungry and die of starvation._

Yui slid her index finger off the parchment plastered to the wall, slowly, her expression becoming downtrodden as a sudden thought plagued her mind _. 'That reminds me…',_ she thought, saddened. _'… poor Monet's all alone. He must be one hungry kitty by now.'_ Regardless of her negative thoughts, she steeled herself and moved on. Slipping into a nearby classroom, she scoured it. Or, at least, what remained of it. Broken desks and chairs lay strewn about on top of the floorboards that weren't torn apart and splintered. The brunette came across a small cabinet beside the blackboard and immediately walked by it. It was damn near overflowing with long, jet black hairs that seemed to have been drenched in blood.

On the other end of the rotting chalkboard was a posted newspaper, its frilly edges curling with age. The teaching assistant read it apprehensively.

 _[Heavenly Post]_

 _ **Breaking News: Serial Kidnapping Ends in Murder**_

 _Over the past month, numerous children have gone missing within the town, and authorities quickly turned to kidnapping as the most likely explanation. Now investigators have located the whereabouts of these children, and their findings are far worse than anyone could've anticipated._

Yui backed away quickly, her thoughts running a mile a minute as she finished reading what was left of the paper that was still legible. Her pupils dilated and sweat began to spill from the contracting pour atop her forehead. "I heard something about this before…" Yui spoke to herself. "But, I never realized just how horrific an incident it really was…" She stood there for an unprecedented amount of time, recollecting her thoughts and allowing her mind to reel back to reality. She nearly jumped right out of her skin when the supposedly locked door beside her slammed open with so much force that the doorway cracked and splintered up to the ceiling.

She exited the classroom, shuffling her feet across the floor nervously, awaiting an approach from a not so friendly apparition. When no such thing came, she stuffed her hand in her pocket and began to absentmindedly thumb the rusty key she'd found lying around some time ago. _3-A,_ she thought as she came across another classroom. As if granting her wish, that classroom just so happened to be the one inscribed on the circular handle of the rusted key. Plucking it from her jacket pocket, she stuck the burgundy stained object into the door's keyhole and turned.

Yui silently cheered when she heard the lock click, a clear sign it had unlocked. Unfortunately though, due to how late it's stage of chemical change was, the key snapped upon the door's opening. She stumbled into the classroom carefully, dusting the excess rust from her fingers off on the wall as she proceeded. Halfway toward the front of the classroom, she jumped backwards in fright as a small, cerulean colored ball of fire exploded into existence before her, the tongues of its flames licking the atmosphere, providing light and some form of heat. Then, she felt a presence pervade her mind, it's warm yet equally cold sensation twisting and writhing around the nerve endings of her brain, tickling her thoughts. By some miracle or curse, a voice that did not belong to her, spoke within her mind.

 _"Well, if it isn't the teacher. Are you all by yourself? Decided to stop shaking and shivering with the other two back in 1-A, did you?"_

Angered by the entity's proclamation, she shot back at the male spirit, confidence shrouding her frightened mindset. "I'll have you know I heard one of my students screaming, and have set out to find her." She clutched her panda-designed necklace charm as she set her fierce sights on the blue flame in front of her. She didn't see the scarlet spark in its center when it spoke in her head again, _"I see. Regrettably…"_ The spirit paused its speech, meticulously debating its next set of words. _"… that won't be possible."_ At Shishido's confused expression, the deceased elaborated. _"This school exists in a nexus where multiple dimensions overlap. It's but a single closed space in a sea of closed spaces."_

Once more, Yui hopes of reuniting her students- _her children!_ -were dashed by the habitants of this accursed place.

 _"In other words, even though you may be in the same school as your screaming student, you and she occupy different dimensions. Which means, you two can never meet."_

Her expression fell, the spirit found himself feeling a bit bad. _"If one of you were to die, perhaps your body or your spirit may move from one space to another… or… maybe you can find a way of traversing the planes freely, as THEY do…"_ The way he spoke of these people made her highly doubt she wanted to move between the dimensions just like them. She stood silent for an unprecedented amount of time, her eyes beginning to gloss over with light tears as she allowed this man who'd given up on life a long time ago to strip her of her high hopes of escaping this brutal prison. _"Consider this a fair warning…"_ his monologue droned right on.

 _"Even if you should find the exact spot from which your student's scream emanated, she herself may not be there. And if she isn't… there's not a THING you can do about it."_

"But…!", she fought back verbally. "I heard her voice!" Another scarlet spark flashed within its blue as the man's voice rose an octave and gradually decreased. _"You say you heard a scream."_ Her fists tightened as her emotions spilled out through her façade. _"That scream may have taken place a few minutes ago, or three hours ago. It simply could have been delayed sound waves or maybe even an echo from the future. One who is still corporeal AND sane, such as yourself, can never be sure here, in Heavenly Host."_

"Rrrggh…"

Her fingers balled into fists and tightened to unreal proportions as stared down the ghost with her fierce resolve. "It doesn't matter!" She screamed at the deceased. "I can't just ignore that agonizing scream and be on my merry way! Step! ASIDE!" A pale fist lashed out, renouncing the last crimson spark within the fiery entrails of the blue spirit, dashing it out of existence as she breathed heavily, adrenaline pumping through her system thoroughly. Walking to other end of the classroom, she firmly grasped the handle to the door and flung it open.

 ** _"STEP ASIDE?! WHY DONT YOU JUST FUCK OFF YOU FUCKING WHORE!"_**

A fierce blast of invisible energy shot her backwards, causing her to land on her arse. She whimpered lowly, trying to recollect herself as the furious scarlet spirit hovered before her. Immediately getting to her feet, the brunette struggled to stay up as an uproar within the room made itself known. "A-an earthquake?!", she cried aloud. Subtle clattering erupted from her side and just as she glanced towards the origin of the sound, the massive cabinet fell over and slammed onto her frail and feminine body. If it wasn't bad enough that the creases of the hardwood had rendered her prone and immobile, now, she could barely breathe or even situate herself properly without feeling the full effects of having multiple shards of shattered glass entering her lower back as well as a collection sharp steak and kitchen knives taking residence within her upper back, pressing sharply against the discs of her spine as well as her rapidly contracting lungs.

 ** _"In all the world, the most vile, untrustworthy individuals of them all… are you… SCHOOLTEACHERS!"_**

His angry and hurt voice rang in her ears, popping them and sending a stream of blood out of them and leaving them to drop down her chin and onto the floor. ** _"All you care about is your own well-being!"_** With one eye permanently shut in pain due to her bodily injuries, she carefully craned her neck so as to not shift the blades in her back as she looked up at him in sorrow and despair. **_"You're not worried about your students…"_**

 _'You're wrong…"_

 _ **"You're just worried about being held responsible if something should happen to them!"**_

 _'As soon as I get outta this… I'm gonna kick your ass.'_

The thought surprised herself, but regardless she watched and listened to the emotional inflicted. ** _"I won't be taken in by your lies any longer!"_** 'Taken in…?' Realizing his distress toward teachers, Yui began to understand where to man was coming from.

 ** _"When you see a problem among your kids, you just keep your distance. You sure wouldn't want to get involved! Gotta keep up appearances, RIGHT?!"_**

Kisaragi's teaching assistant for class 2-9 struggled against the inflicting force upon which kept the cabinet down upon her rear, but to no avail as she watched a pool of her own blood expand around beneath her, coating the front her body, from her knees to her breasts and neck, in her own crimson essence. **_"Those students of yours…"_** A hazy red outlined filled her vision when the bad yard mentioned her children as she stared up at the red-orange flame; as it flickered to and fro, carelessly. **_"Will all die meaningless deaths, just like me! And you'll be the very LAST thing on their minds when the perish in these halls!"_**

The spirit didn't notice when the cabinet budged above her.

 ** _"Any last words, bitch?"_** , he swore angrily at her. **_"I'll tell them to those twerps as I end their miserable lives…"_** Yui was already pissed beyond belief at it when it spoke of her students-her fucking family!-in such a vile tone, but it's next words made her snap.

 ** _"One. By. One."_**

Someone went ballistic, the class went dark, and a scream rang out.

 _(Infirmary)_

When the soul of Shinohara Seiko awoke, she expected to feel hurt, maimed, in some form of pain. But, instead, she felt a lovely cooling sensation on her throat. Looking downward from her prone position, she could see hands before her, fingers splayed, radiating a soft emerald glow. Following the arms attached to those hands, she found a body sitting beside her. A wild mane of spiky scarlet tresses met her vision as she tilted her head to look at her healer. He didn't even make eye contact with her when he spoke.

"How are you feeling?"

Before she could respond, Seiko gasped inaudibly as the cooling sensation in her esophagus became blatantly more intense. The green light coating her neck faded eventually, allowing the unnamed boy to remove his hands and let her sit up. "A-am I…?" _"No."_ , the boy told her sternly, as if sending her a mixed message. "You're not dead. And believe me, as much as you might want to die, it's not worth it to escape the horrors of this place."

Shinohara took his hand tentatively when he offered it, standing up off of the bed in the infirmary room as he pulled her to her feet with him. "How…", she began. "How did you-

"Heal you?"

Her eyes grew wide as he finished her sentence. "Are you some kinda psychic?!", she asked excitedly. "Well, I'm what some might call a miracle." She watched as he brought up a hand in between them, and like an all-powerful specter, she gazed on as wisps of wind whipped around his fingers and his wrist. Next, flecks of ice appeared out of thin air and circled up and down his forearm, the coldness caused by the ice turning the wind into a frosty mist. As an end result, small-scale bolts of lightning wrapped around his arm from the elbow down, shrouding the misty air and shards of ice in a protective barrier and coating his forearm like an ethereal gauntlet. "But, otherwise, it was just a simple application of medical chakra." "Huh?", she looked at him confused when he said the word _chakra_. "What's cha-ka-ra?" He laughed to himself as he expelled the elements from his limb. "Chakra", he corrected her. "is the combination of-

His head whipped to the side suddenly, completely disregarding Seiko's presence.

With the speed of a bullet, the red haired stranger ran to the door and shut it, locking it in the process. "Sorry.", he said running back to her. "But, I've no time to explain any further."

 ** _"GRROOAAAHH!"_**

The poor girl nearly jumped out of her skin when the roar erupted from what sounded like a few meters behind the wooden door. "W-what the hell was that?!" He shushed her immediately as he pulled her to the corner of the room. "We gotta find the others." For the second time since she awoke, she looked at him confusedly. "What others?" He smiled as he looked her in the eyes, "Your friends of course."

"Wait, how did you-

"But, we can't do that", he interrupted her as he faced the door with a fierce expression, his resolve clear. "with this thing in the way."

 ** _"GRROOAAAHH!"_**

 _BOOM!_

The looming figure barreled through the doorway, completely disregarding the locked door and shattered it upon impact, splintering it inwardly, destroying the rectangular shaped piece of oak instantaneously. **_"Huurr..._** The boy stood in front of Seiko protectively as the lumbering beast stomped forward ever so slightly, its massive hammer splitting the floorboards as he strode toward the defiant boy. "Stay here.", he said in low voice to the brunette standing in the corner, shaking in her school sneakers. "I'm sorry." the carrot top said. Seiko watched as a strangely shaped knife dropped out of his sleeve and into his hand, looking on as his form took on radiant saffron hue even as he pulled the knife up in a defensive stance.

"But, I didn't quite catch that. Would you kindly repeat it again?"

The beast raised his massive weapon high in the air and roared.

 _ **"RAAAAAGGGGHHH!"**_

 _Then, the beast lunged-!_


End file.
